Pioneer power at annual steam-engine show

Bright greens and yellow dominate the view at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover this weekend. These colors are the paint on John Deere tractors and equipment — the featured company at the 50th anniversary year of the Tuscarawas Valley Pioneer Power Association.

Bright greens and yellow dominate the view at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover this weekend.

Although the grass still is green, these colors are the paint on John Deere tractors and equipment — the featured company at the 50th anniversary year of the Tuscarawas Valley Pioneer Power Association. Next year, the primary color will be red, as the Case and International Harvester brands will be featured.

This year’s show started Friday. It wraps up today at 6 p.m. Activities include the grand parade of equipment at 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults. Children age 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Neil Gray of the Gilmore area held his daughter in his arms to look at a John Deere Model H built in 1945. Ella will turn 2 years old by month’s end.

“She’s been paying lot of attention to the tractor at home, so I figured she’d get a lot of enjoyment out of hearing the tractors here, especially that wonderful putt-putt sound,” he said of the distinctive sound produced by the older John Deere two-cylinder tractors.

Gray owns several John Deere tractors.

Ella soon wandered off with her mother, Laura. When Ella climbed into the seat of a garden tractor, Neil said, “It’s fun to watch. She’s really excited. I'm pretty sure I was the same way – just don't remember.”

Ella was hardly alone. Men, women and children of all ages browsed throughout the fairgrounds looking at 12 full-size steam engines, plus several scale-model or stationary units. Up to 400 gasoline or diesel tractors are lined up, parked in rows instead of rolling through rows of corn or harvesting hayfields.

All of the equipment is operable, and there are sawmill, shingle-mill and grain-threshing demonstrations.

Howard Calame of Orrville said the show is about the same size it has been for several years. He’s a past president and director of the TVPPA. His wife, Hazel, has served as secretary for 11 years.

She staffed the TVPPA information booth under the grandstands, selling souvenir buttons, badges, plates and cups. New 50th anniversary plates sell for $6 each, with past years marked down to $1 each. Cups are $5 each, boasting the group’s motto, “Preserve the Past. Educating the future.”

Howard’s late father, Roy, owned and operated five custom thresher rigs and crews throughout Wayne County.

That was “until the combine put him out of business,” Howard said of the advancement in harvesting equipment technology.

Roy owned Russell steam engines, all the same brand because “it meant one set of parts to keep,” Howard said.

Howard and Hazel own two 8-horsepower Russell steam engines.

“We should have identical twins next year,” Howard said.

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They found and purchased one in Tennessee with an identification number only seven digits off the one they already owned.

“That means they were built in the same week,” he said, adding he’s also happy because this one has some parts not on his other one. Those parts can be duplicated.

Hazel said that Howard “took me to my first steam engine show when I was 15 years old – I fell in love with them. His dad told him, ‘You’d better hang on to her, she’s a keeper.”

Howard took the advice of his father, who died in 1975.

“We’ve been coming here since 1967,” Hazel said. “Our kids and now our grandchildren do, too. You see the third and fourth generations of a lot of families here every year.”

“Once you get that steam cylinder oil flowing around in your veins, you’re hooked,” Howard said.

“This is the highlight of our summer,” Hazel chimed in.

“And it’s always held on the third full weekend of August,” Howard said.